Mesothelioma in Cats

By Vincent Green

You'd never venture to believe that your furry feline could contract a disease that is very lethal to even humans. But unfortunately, mesothelioma does not pick and choose its victims. Mesothelioma,detected by perform while very rare in humans is extremely rare in the cat population. In that regard, there is no defined protocol for treating feline mesothelioma.

It is usually ing a biopsy on a cat which is exhibiting related symptoms. Cats that have mesothelioma tend to exhibit similar symptoms to humans, ie. weight loss, coughing, difficutly breathing, etc.

The disease in cats is believed to be caused by exposure to asbestos. Typically, mesothelioma treatment for cats focuses on improving their quality of life and is therefore palliative. What makes treatment in cats for the disease very difficult is their response to the drug cisplatin. While cisplatin has shown to be effective in treatment for dogs, the drug is lethal to cats.

It is common for cats with mesothelioma to be intravenously administered a drug known as Carboplatin. Carboplatin is known to have fewer side effects than its counterpart cisplatin. It is known to be less toxic than cisplatin.

Today, Carboplatin is sold under the brand name Paraplatin. Even with the availability of this drug and ongoing research into this condition in cats, the typical prognosis for any cat is unfortunately not good. It is important that you talk to your pet's veterinarian to weight out your options. If the condition is far too advanced, your veterinarian may suggest euthanasia.

About the Author
A professional writer with an active interest in Mesothelioma Cancer.

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